How much debt do you need to file for insolvency?
From €5,000 — but the amount is not the only test. Insolvency proceedings for a natural person can be opened if your debts are at least €5,000 and already past their due date, or at least €10,000 where you can show you will be unable to pay them within a year. There are also conditions about your history: you must not have used insolvency proceedings in the last 10 years, and must not have knowingly given false information to your creditors in the last 3 years. And the process is not free: in 2026 the deposit is €1,560 — two minimum monthly wages — and the state fee is €80, both payable before proceedings begin. First comes the bankruptcy stage, with the sale of your assets, and only then does the debt discharge plan start, running for 1–3 years.
📋 The rules
- Threshold: €5,000 of overdue debt
- Or €10,000 if you cannot pay within a year
- Deposit in 2026: €1,560
- State fee: €80
- Debt discharge: 1–3 years
🔓 Exceptions
- You must not have used insolvency proceedings in the last 10 years
- You must not have knowingly misled creditors in the last 3 years
- Not all obligations are discharged — some survive the process
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Insolvency is not “debts written off with one signature”. First comes the bankruptcy stage: your assets are sold and the proceeds go to creditors. Only then does the debt discharge plan begin, during which a third of your income must go to creditors every month — but no less than a third of the minimum wage, even where you have almost no income at all. The length depends on the size of the debt: typically one year where the total does not exceed €30,000, and longer where it does — 1 to 3 years in all. And not every obligation is discharged: maintenance payments, for example, survive the process. Budget for the up-front costs too: the €1,560 deposit and the €80 fee must be paid before proceedings start, and for many people that is the real obstacle.
📎 Official sources
❓ Frequently asked
How much debt is needed?
At least 5,000 euros of debt already past its due date. It is also possible from 10,000 euros where you can show that you will be unable to settle those debts within a year. The sum is not the only test.
What does the process cost?
The insolvency deposit in 2026 is 1,560 euros, equal to two minimum monthly wages, and the state fee is 80 euros. Both must be covered before proceedings begin, and for many that is the real obstacle.
How long does debt discharge take?
Between one and three years. It is usually one year where the total debt does not exceed 30,000 euros, and longer where the debts are larger. Before that comes the bankruptcy stage and the sale of assets.
How much must I pay each month?
During the discharge plan a third of your income goes to creditors each month, but no less than a third of the minimum monthly wage. The remainder stays with you for everyday living costs.
Are all debts written off?
No. Some obligations survive the process — maintenance payments among them. It is worth establishing exactly which of your debts the process would discharge, and which it would not, before filing.
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